Kirei Kotomine (β)
:This page is about the Kotomine that debuted in Monokuma Rising. For the incarnation that appeared in Into the Stars, see here. Kirei Kotomine is a major character in the popular urban fantasy visual novel [[wikipedia:Fate/stay_night|''Fate/stay night]] and, as the '(β)' incarnation, made his debut in ''Monokuma Rising. Canon Kotomine hails from the Fate franchise, which takes place within the [http://typemoon.wikia.com/wiki/TYPE-MOON Type-Moon] universe. He is one of the primary antagonists of the franchise, acting as the one on the opposite spectrum of the respective protagonists, Kiritsugu Emiya and Shirou Emiya. He is an esteemed Executor of the Church, working essentially as an agent who hunted down demons and heretics, as well as one of the seven "Masters" during the Fourth Holy Grail War, and later, the Fifth. Pre-Convergence Before the events of Monokuma Rising, Kotomine was making preparations for the Fifth Holy Grail War alongside his student, Rin Tohsaka. At this point in time, the Mages' Association was in the middle of an ordeal as a result of Shiki Tohno's'' Crossed Testimony'' and Aoko Aozaki's'' Gotham City Report'', which detailed the events of [http://murderseries.wikia.com/wiki/Murder_I:_The_Ties_That_Bind The Ties That Bind]'' and ''Shadow Over Gotham respectively. Meanwhile, before he could get far in his preparations, Kotomine mysteriously disappeared against his own will, and the next thing he knew, he was a student of what he would later title the Monokuma Incident. Plot Involvement Monokuma Rising He was one of the more prominent figures of Monokuma Rising, more active in pursuing the Traitors and whatnot. Kotomine was involved with many of the votes that killed the other students, most notably Yang Xiao Long,'' making him a target for the vengeful Pretty Boy before he met his death at the hands of the traitor, ''Ratchet, though he was resurrected relatively quickly, and just in the nick of time, paying Ratchet back by aiding in killing him. He was responsible for discovering Natsu Dragneel'' and his position as a Traitor. In the aftermath, when offered to join the Coalition, Kotomine refused, saying that the ordeal he had just been through was enough trouble on its own. However, he did note that he would likely get involved again whether he wanted to or not, as he knew that his impending ''Monokuma Incident Report would stir up more concern within the Church and Mage's Association.'' '''Fusion' Between the events of [http://murderseries.wikia.com/wiki/Murder_IV%3A_Monokuma_Rising Monokuma Rising]'' and [http://murderseries.wikia.com/wiki/Murder_V%3A_The_Reapers'_Game ''The Reapers' Game], he and Rin Tohsaka were experimenting with what appeared to be a copy of the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch'' for an unknown reason. The Jeweled Sword of Zelretch was an item that was said to be able to perform the ''Second Magic, that is, the ability to leap through dimensions and different worlds. The copy was partly a success and partly a failure. It was a success in that they managed to indeed travel through different worlds, but at the same time, it was a failure because full control of manifesting the portals had yet to be acquired. As a result, the two of them arrived in the world that the Coalition Headquarters was situated in. Though not clearly specified on the exact events, it is mentioned that Kotomine was called upon to investigate an anomaly detected by the Coalition, likely during his involuntary stay at the Coalition Headquarters'' alongside Chris Redfield. In the middle of their encounter with an extremely downgraded, weakened version of Arch Demon Akibahara, who in his human form was using an estimated 5-10% of his power, a group consisting of Touma, Cole, Ika, Naoki, Natalia, and Nanami subsequently witnessed Kotomine breaking into the room, which had become an isolated pocket dimension due to the Arch Demon's powers. With the combined efforts of Touma's Illusion Breaker inadvertently breaking the pocket dimension's isolation and Rin Tohsaka's fake Jeweled Sword of Zelretch, Kotomine was able to defeat Sister Eunice and distract Akibahara long enough for Touma and Naoki to defeat him. After Akibahara was temporarily vanquished, claiming that he had further business elsewhere, he left them as abruptly as he came, briefly mentioning the concept of the Murder Games and the presence of Traitors in the midst. However, before long, he, after reuniting with his ally, Chris Redfield, would suddenly be transported back to the location of the Survivors, and from there, attempted to actively aid them for the rest of the Murder Game. After the climactic battle against Ultibahara, Kotomine, along with Chris, eventually returned to the Coalition Headquarters, their work done, and shortly afterwards, he submitted a Fuse Incident Report to the Church and Mage's Association, detailing the events that he had just recently gone through. '''The Ultimate Game' Though it isn't specified for sure, it is generally assumed that Kotomine was still idling around Coalition Headquarters along with Rin Tohsaka before the events of the Murder Game. He appeared here and there within the Coalition HQ, fighting alongside Chris Redfield, Kazuya Mineshigi, Naoya Mineshigi, and Paladin Jackson (when he was undercover) against Arya Stark's forces that would attempt a full-scale attack. He once again appeared alongside Rin Tohsaka in the climactic battle against Arch Demon Akibahara, making quips with Frank Castle as he tore down the hostile forces, most notably the Crossed. Illusion Breaker It is generally believed that he had been residing within his Church before the event, sometime after returning to his world after The Ultimate Game. He briefly appears in the beginning when giving Rin a phone call, instructing her to make sure to remember to summon her Servant if she wants to participate in the Holy Grail War. The Sovionok Camp Incident - Legend of Zelda Extravaganza Under the guise of "The Unknown Man," he is the indirect cause of the event, due to having Fiamma of the Right introduce the power of the Right Hand of the Crimson Moon to Aku and Ghirahim, though he does not appear directly within the events. Right Hand of the Crimson Moon Kotomine is a major figure within Right Hand of the Crimson Moon. He first appears in the first chapter, eating mapo tofu in the marketplace of Fuyuki City, greeting those who would visit him and even offer them some of his food, served by Lancer. Before long, he led everyone to his Church, where he provided all of the necessary exposition concerning the latest Murder Game, before providing everyone sanctuary in the Church. .|254x254px]] Before long, the Church was stormed by Fiamma of the Right, who used the Right Hand of the Crimson Moon to teleport the Survivors to an artificial world, before blasting Kotomine, Sean Grant, and Edipsu into the building, presumably killing them. However, after defeating Emiya, Cu Chulainn, and Ciel, upon investigating the ruins of the Church, it would be revealed that Kotomine's body was nowhere to be found, signaling that he managed to escape. Under the guise of The Unknown Man, he made his way to Misaki Town and quickly subdue Rin Tohsaka before she would be able to contact the Mage's Association and the Holy Church to update the happenings of the Murder Game, intending to use her body's energy to feed the Holy Grail and summon Avenger to destroy the world. He would not appear again until the final chapter, where he was seen standing inside the Star of Bethlehem, waiting for everyone, where he then revealed his position as the true mastermind of the Murder Game, having manipulated Fiamma of the Right all this time into carrying out his will, revealing his hand in the events of The Sovionok Camp Incident and Legend of Zelda Extravaganza as well, before overtaking everyone with a strange black mud, likely created from the rising Holy Grail. As the Survivors eventually managed to break free of the mud, being broken up into three different groups to fight a corrupted Saber, Fiamma of the Right, and Kotomine himself, Kotomine further revealed to Frank Castle, Robin Tact, Minato Arisato, and Erika Furudo that Aku, Ghirahim, and Fiamma of the Right were never the only villains that he had bestowed power unto. By traveling to countless different worlds with the power of the Right Hand of the Crimson Moon, he managed to inspire countless other villains to orchestrate their own Murder Games to ensure the phenomena's continued existence, believing that the cycle was a necessary part of reality, like an evil that needed to be vanquished by a good, only for that good to be dissipated by an even bigger evil Murder Game, and so on. , Robin, and Erika, the people he had known since his first Murder Game, for the last time.|254x254px]] Before long, he engaged into a climactic fight with those that he had once allied with in the Monokuma Incident. This was where the battle between hope and despair would end. After the climactic fight against his former allies, Kotomine, with the last of his power, monologued over the meaning of his life and how nothing would ever be the same again, before finally falling down, his life effectively coming to an end for the final time, though it may be considered a hollow victory, but what he had done could never be taken back, and his actions would echo throughout the multiverse for as long as the Murder Games would go on. Epilogue(s) Monokuma Rising After returning to his world, Kotomine, shortly after submitting his Monokuma Incident Report, speaks to an officer of the Mages' Association over the phone. Noting to the officer that the events that he had went through were suspiciously similar to Aoko Aozaki's'' Gotham City Incident Report'' and Shiki Tohno's'' Crossed Testimony'', he suggests that they start an investigation concerning the anomaly known as Arch Demon Akibahara. ''When asked of who he would suggest, Kotomine recommended ''Ciel, the top-ranking Executor in all the Church. After finishing his conversation, Kotomine walks into a backroom within his Church, greeting a certain man with golden hair and armor, sipping a glass of wine. Elsewhere, Ciel is confronted on a dark rooftop by a representative of the Mages' Association, who proceeds to talk to her about the recent events, and her new job. The full epilogue can be viewed here. Fusion After returning to the Coalition Headquarters with Chris, along with Naoki Kashima, Elizabeth Keen, and Natalia, he submitted a document called the Fuse Incident Report to the Holy Church and Mage's Association. From there, Aoko Aozaki would confront the vice director of the Association, Barthomeloi Lorelei, concerning the situation of the Murder Games, advising that they must act now before it is too late, devising a plan in preparation for what she assumed to be an "ultimate" game in the future, dropping the name of Shiki Tohno while she was at it. The full epilogue can be found here. The Ultimate Game Upon returning to his homeworld, having a brief conversation with the same golden man, revealed to be called Gilgamesh, from his Monokuma Rising epilogue, Kotomine would make his way into a private room where he revealed that he had pocketed the right hand of Akibahara, making use of it and ominously reveling in its power. His full epilogue can be seen here. The Sovionok Camp Incident Under the guise of The Unknown Man, Kotomine spoke with Fiamma of the Right about the power of the Right Hand of the Crimson Moon, and how the latest experiment was a success, as they had managed to orchestrate their very own Murder Game through Aku, even though he was defeated in the process by the participants. The full epilgoue can be seen here. Character Relationships * Robin Tact - The protagonist of [[wikipedia:Fire_Emblem_Awakening|''Fire Emblem: Awakening]] who also made his debut in [http://murderseries.wikia.com/wiki/Murder_IV:_Monokuma_Rising ''Monokuma Rising]. ''The two of them were allies in the Murder Game, working together with others to unravel the identities of the traitors and the mystery behind the Monokuma Incident. The nature of their conflicting personalities made their relationship a sort of love-hate friendship. * ''Erika Furudo - An antagonist of [[wikipedia:Umineko:_When_They_Cry|''Umineko no Naku Koro ni]] who also debuted in ''Monokuma Rising. ''Another ally of Kotomine in the event who also diligently worked to discover the traitors. In ''Right Hand of the Crimson Moon, Kotomine would capture her and attempt to use her body as a subject to offer unto the Holy Grail. * Frank Castle - Otherwise known as [[wikipedia:Punisher|''The Punisher]]. In ''Monokuma Rising, where he also first appeared, the two of them had sort of a mutual understanding of the notion of killing, seemingly willing to kill all the fellow survivors, as if it was the easiest way to defeat the traitors. Frank worked alongside Kotomine, Robin, Erika, and others. However, their relationship has turned somewhat sour as of Coalition Headquarters.'' * ''Pretty Boy - An antagonist from the manga [http://junjiitomanga.wikia.com/wiki/Lovesick_Dead Undying Love]'' who also appeared in ''Monokuma Rising. Though they weren't exactly close to each other, they both acknowledge they are similar in the fact that they enjoy ruining love lives of others. United by sadism indeed. Pretty Boy grew to hate Kotomine after the priest voted off Yang Xiao Long, and was about to kill him, before Kotomine met his untimely end prematurely at the hands of another participant. * Funny Valentine - The primary antagonist of [[wikipedia:Steel_Ball_Run|''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run]]. He and Kotomine fought as allies in the early stages of ''Monokuma Rising, and was later accused of being a traitor by the priest, though he managed to escape suspicion before he was voted off. * Ciel - One of the heroines of [[wikipedia:Tsukihime|''Tsukihime]]. Though they don't personally know each other very well, Kotomine and Ciel are both esteemed Executors of the Church. Ciel would later go on to be involved in the Akibahara case with her debut in The Reapers' Game.'' * Kiritsugu Emiya - The protagonist of [[wikipedia:Fate/Zero|''Fate/Zero]], he has made appearances in The Ties That Bind and Welcome to Silent Hill. The two of them were arch-rivals during the events of ''Fate/Zero, but they were also essentially two sides of the same coin. The only emotion Emiya could feel was the hope that he was doing work that saved others, while the other emotion Kotomine could feel was the joy in spreading despair, which is ironic, considering Emiya's work as a mercenary and Kotomine's occupation as a priest. * Shirou Emiya - The protagonist of [[wikipedia:Fate/stay_night|''Fate/stay night]] who debuted in Welcome to Silent Hill. The two of them were enemies during the Fifth Holy Grail War, and like with Kiritsugu, Kotomine was the complete opposite of Shirou. * ''Rin Tohsaka - A major character in Fate/stay night who made an appearance in Coalition Headquarters. ''Kotomine killed her father when the two of them were participating in the Fourth Holy Grail War, and since then, the priest has acted as her legal guardian and teacher, despite what she might think about him. * ''Chris Redfield - A major protagonist of the ''Resident Evil'' franchise who debuted in Fusion. The two of them were allies during the respective Murder Game, acting as overseers from the Coalition to prevent the spread of Arch Demon Akibahara's power. * Cu Chulainn - A supporting character from Fate/stay night who debuted in Illusion Breaker. Kotomine is the Master of Lancer, who (though it isn't specified in the Murder Series) reluctantly follows his Master, as Lancer has a dislike for him. * Gilgamesh - An antagonist from Fate/stay night who debuted in Right Hand of the Crimson Moon as a Survivor. For much of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Gilgamesh acted as Kotomine's Servant, though technically became free when the Heroic Spirit acquired his own physical body. The two of them co-exist rather peacefully, as Gilgamesh is noted for being the one who helped the then-younger Kotomine discover his long-repressed sadism. Gallery Kotomine2.png|Kotomine as he normally appears in the events he partakes in. Trivia * He really, really, likes mapo tofu. * Compared to when he was 27 years old, that is, when he appeared in [[wikipedia:Fate/Zero|'Fate/Zero']],'' Kotomine seems to have grown in height by 8 centimeters. When [[wikipedia:Kinoko_Nasu|'Kinoko Nasu']],'' author of the Type-Moon visual novels, was asked if this random growth spurt was a side effect of magecraft use, his given answer was "Honestly, I don't know either." * His given title in Monokuma Rising was "The Ultimate Sadist," and his item of importance was the cross he wore around his neck. * Kotomine is mentioned by name in The Reapers' Game when Ciel muses that she intends to get back at him for making her undergo such a grueling task like a Murder Game in her Epilogue, and also makes a brief cameo in Eden and the Forgotten People when he was mentioned by the Robin Tact Program, shown in his home world, sneezing as he was being talked about behind his back. * He is the first Survivor to go on to become a Mastermind. * Kotomine has received highly positive reception among the community, becoming one of the series's more popular characters until - and even after - his death. ** In the first Award Show, which covered every event from The Ties That Bind to The Reapers' Game, Kotomine was nominated for Most Badass Character, Weirdest Character, Most Unusual Friends (alongside Robin Tact), Best Alliance (alongside Funny Valentine), Best Male Character Overall, Most Mentally Tortured Character, and won Best Male Character of Monokuma Rising. ** In the second Award Show, which covered every event from Fusion to The Grand Hotel, he was nominated for Best NPC Overall, Best NPC of Fusion, and won Best NPC of ''Right Hand of the Crimson Moon. ''His death was nominated for Best Death, Saddest Death, and Greatest Moment of the event, alongside his climactic fight against Frank Castle. He had also won the award for Best Rivalry alongside Frank, as well as Best Villain Overall. ** This adds up to a total of sixteen nominations, winning three of them.Category:Monokuma Rising Category:Characters Category:Fusion Category:Illusion Breaker Category:The Ultimate Game Category:Survivors Category:NPCs Category:Right Hand of the Crimson Moon Category:The Sovionok Camp Incident Category:Type-Moon characters Category:Masterminds